Dargah Khwaja Gharib Nawaz and Golden Temple

By Dr. Ghulam Zarqani Translated by Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi, New Age Islam Main Points  The surrounds of Khawaja Gharib Nawaz need to be properly managed because they are not as picturesque as those around the Golden Temple.  The administrators and custodians of Khawaja Gharib Nawaz's shrine can foster a calm, reverent, and spiritual environment from which a methodical movement of reformation can be launched in the framework of the current era if they choose to do so. ..... Let's begin by introducing the narrator of the incident. Before the Isha prayer, maybe eleven or twelve years ago, a man entered our institution and said that it was his birthday and that he wanted to offer some money to aid in the construction of the mosque. I indicated the donation jar with my finger. He placed some cash inside before turning to face the other way. I asked him to pray and leave because the congregation for the Isha prayer would soon stand up. He made it clear that he did not know how to pray because he was an Ismaili and not a Muslim. I gave it some thinking before I went up to him and introduced myself. Since he had already arrived at the mosque, I also told him to mimic the Isha prayer behind us. He stood behind the prayer line-ups to my satisfaction. I had assumed that he would have returned following the congregation of the prayer. But as I turned around at that point, I was even more shocked to see him waiting for me in a mosque corner. After I had finished Sunnah, Witr, and Nawafil prayers, he approached and remarked, “I felt a joy in Sajdah, which I cannot describe.” I responded by saying, “Guess how much serenity, pleasure, and satisfaction will be achieved in prostration after becoming a Muslim if you have really achieved so much pleasure in prostration before entering the circle of Islam.” He was unable to answer at the moment, but two or three days later he returned and told me he wished to embrace Islam. I immediately taught him the kalima, and he entered into the fold of Islam. He currently performs five-time prayers daily and actively contributes to the upkeep of the Islamic faith. By the way, this fellow informed me yesterday that one of his close Ismaili friends just returned from a trip to India. Along with his elderly mother and other family members, his Ismaili friend also travelled to various towns and stopped at the Golden Temple in Punjab. In his own words, he describes what transpired to him subsequently as follows: “We were all surprised at how well-maintained and clean the place was when we all arrived near the Golden Temple as scheduled. Street traffic was likewise moving smoothly, and people were walking respectably. The volunteers who had been waiting there promptly rushed forward to provide aid as soon as we arrived at the Golden Temple grounds and asked to be given the opportunity to serve. Then they carefully removed my elderly mother from the vehicle. Before entering the temple, a colleague fixed the wheelchair, took off her shoes, and put on her socks. They kept us close. When we reached a hall, they pointed to some Sikh trinkets placed on the table in front and said, "Whatever you choose; you can take it from us free so that it will remain a memento of your journey.” However, nowhere did they even let me touch the wheelchair. “I gratefully took one thing with me. When I got back, I questioned why there weren't any beggars like there were at other pilgrimage sites, dargahs, and tourist attractions in India”. He responded that it is forbidden for beggars to approach four or five streets near the Golden Temple.” According to the narrator, those people went straight from Punjab to Ajmer Sharif to pay a visit to Sultan-ul-Hind Khawaja Gharib Nawaz. He further says: We were shocked to see how unclean the surroundings of the dargah were and how many beggars were standing along the roadside. The car door soon became difficult to open as our car approached Buland Darwaza. The beggars were jostling for position as they brought the bowl to our mouths. Anyway, I finally succeeded in removing the wheelchair after much effort, placed the mother inside, and then exited. Despite the fact that I went a long time without seeing any volunteers, a few well-dressed people did offer to help with the pilgrimage. I took one of them along. When he wanted to tell me something or take me somewhere, I was shocked to see beggars approaching. As we neared the gate of the holy shrine, we saw some people seeking donations to help pay for the Langar and Fatiha recitations. Once inside the shrine, we came across another gentleman who begged me to put something in the bowl while wearing a corner of the sheet on his head. When we got back from our visit, the well-dressed person we had met also turned to me in order to seek the offering.” The narrator then addressed me and stated, "Dr. Sahib, our Ismaili friends are shocked. They are asking me why Khawaja Gharib Nawaz, who is credited with spreading Islam over the Indian subcontinent, is not receiving justice for the world-famous Dargah that bears his name. How important are the ideals of purity, preservation, and service to humanity in a religion that is built on illusion? One should have been captivated by the spirituality and light of Islam after arriving at the threshold of Khwaja Gharib Nawaz. But isn't it shocking that instead of this circumstance, we feel like we are always being grabbed and scratched? Were they the teachings and messages of Khwaja Gharib Nawaz (may Allah be pleased with him)?” I'm at a loss for words now that these perceptions are being shared with us by a non-Muslim, yet they are true. I am confident that if the administrators and custodians of Khawaj Gharib Nawaz's shrine can foster a calm, reverent, and spiritual environment from which a methodical worldwide movement of preaching, guiding, and reformation can be launched in the framework of the current era if they choose to do so. If it does, it won't come as a surprise. ......... Read it in Urdu: Dargah Khwaja Gharib Nawaz and Golden Temple درگاہ خواجہ غریب نواز اور گولڈن ٹیمپل URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-spiritualism/dargah-khwaja-gharib-nawaz-golden-temple/d/129015 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism